The Five Scarves - Scarves Rivals Part 4
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 2 of 3, Part 4 of 5) Rivalries aren't always visible, and they aren't always with other people: for Xander Lykos, his battle is with his own self-doubt. Meanwhile, Hanna Skarlett, who has no such issues, once again proves she's not exactly a natural at making friends.
1. Chapter 1

[2.5 years before the Brevon Incident]

Among the pink trees of Rage Ravine walks a young couple, a fiery orange vixen and a silver hare holding hands, enjoying the midday sunshine and the gentle breeze. Soon, they approach a clearing at the base of a cliff, where they are surprised to find an abandoned part-wood part-stone two-storey house built into the rock.

"I wonder who used to live there," the vixen thinks aloud, speeding up slightly, her curiosity piqued.

"Whoever they were, they've been gone a long time," the hare concludes. "Looks like the place has been mothballed."

The vixen spots some familiar markings. Letting go of the hare's hand, she jogs up to the house and analyses the markings. "Hey Rob, check this out, it's one of ours!"

"Really?" Rob asks as he joins the vixen. "So it is," he agrees after looking at the markings.

"I'm gonna check inside," the vixen decides, heading for the front door.

"Hanna, are you really going to steal from a house the Red Scarves own?" Rob asks.

"Of course not," Hanna replies. "I'm just curious. Plus, that balcony looks a good place to have lunch."

Rob looks up to the balcony Hanna is pointing to. "You have a point." He then hears a click from the front door, turning to look just in time to see Hanna, who has just picked the lock, disappearing inside. "Well, it's easier than climbing up the wall," he sighs to himself as he follows the vixen into the house.

It only takes a minute to find the way up to the top floor, through the master bedroom, and out onto the balcony. "Now _that_ is a view!" Hanna remarks as Rob sets down the hamper and begins to unpack its contents. "I'd like to live somewhere like this one day."

"I've been thinking about a second weapon specialisation," Rob announces suddenly.

"So much for the romance," Hanna sighs, feigning disappointment. "Aren't you happy with the sai?"

"Definitely," Rob assures. "But I'm also drawn to the idea of sniping."

Hanna sits beside Rob as he finishes unpacking the hamper. "For someone who almost quit the Scarves after just a few weeks, you're getting surprisingly comfortable with contract killings," she observes.

"Trust me, I'm more surprised than you are," Rob smiles. "But then four and a half years in the Scarves does open your eyes to the darker side of life, and I've learnt that morality is far from black and white. And sometimes, doing the wrong thing is actually doing the right thing."

"Ah, so there _is_ something going on in that pretty little head of yours," Hanna smirks flirtatiously.

"Keep on like that, and I might choose someone else to be my spotter," Rob retorts playfully. "Actually, thinking about it, that's probably the way to go. Being a spotter requires patience, and we both know you're not the patient sort."

"Are you saying I'm not up to the challenge?" Hanna asks.

"Correct," Rob smirks.

"Darn it Rob, you know me too well," Hanna chuckles. "Of course I'll be your spotter, if only to prove you wrong."

"You wouldn't be you if you refused," Rob smiles.

"True," Hanna agrees. "Now, how about a bit of romance? It _is_ our first anniversary, after all."

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten," Rob assures. "That was quite something, the night we first kissed," he reminisces. "

"Such a shame our first night together was in a gaol cell," Hanna continues. "Which wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't left the handcuffs on. And then Leader Metharom made us wear those stupid masks and mittens, all because we couldn't keep our hands off each other."

"But we made up for it when the three days were up," Rob smirks.

"That was an _amazing_ day," Hanna reminisces. "And we didn't even take our clothes off." She then pauses for thought. "Y'know, we have the whole day to ourselves, and we're highly unlikely to be disturbed here," she continues, removing her halterneck, laying down, and posing alluringly. "Let's make today even _more_ amazing."

"You didn't want to come up here for lunch, did you?" Rob asks knowingly. "You're not even slightly hungry."

"Not for food, no," Hanna purrs.

"Technically, we're still too young," Rob reminds as he removes his vest.

"That's not going to stop us," Hanna smiles seductively.

"And you'd be right," Rob replies, embracing Hanna.

"Aren't I always?" Hanna teases as she wraps her arms around Rob, pulling him in for a long passionate kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

Two days later, mid-morning, and Hanna and Rob are at the Red Scarves HQ shooting range. Having familiarised themselves with the standard equipment for a sniping pair, a bolt-action long range rifle fitted with a telescopic sight and a spotting scope with a built-in rangefinder, they make their way to the long‑range section of the shooting gallery next door to the armoury. Unsurprisingly, that section of the range is very quiet, and Hanna and Rob find they have the whole section to themselves. Settling down to begin practice, Rob selects two hundred yards as the range for the first target.

"Only two hundred yards?" Hanna asks, looking through her spotter scope.

"Just while I get used to firing this," Rob informs.

As Rob settles into looking through the scope, Hanna sneakily doubles the distance. "Range four hundred yards, moderate breeze from the right. Correct one point five degrees."

Rob looks over to see Hanna's cheeky smile, shakes his head in amusement, then returns to lining up his first shot. He takes his time, mentally reviewing training the day before a few times before starting the routine of taking the shot. He breathes in deeply, holds it briefly, breathes out slowly, then squeezes the trigger.

The rifle fires with a supersonic crack. Hanna yelps in pained surprise as the shot hits the target wide of the bullseye.

"You OK?" Rob asks as he flicks the safety on and ejects the spent shell.

Hanna doesn't respond, instead shaking her head vigorously and massaging the insides of her ears. "Sorry, did you say something?" she asks when she realises Rob is looking at her with concern. "I should have been wearing the ear defenders," she admits sheepishly.

"How bad is it?" Rob asks.

"I can still hear, but my ears are ringing a lot," Hanna replies as she fits her ear defenders. "I didn't expect it to be that loud. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to have done any real damage."

"You good to continue?"

"Sure." Hanna returns to her scope and checks the target. "Wider than I thought it would be."

"The recoil kicked harder than I thought," Rob admits, rubbing his shoulder.

"Or you're just a crap shot," Hanna teases.

"I'd like to see you do better," Rob teases back.

"I'd rather watch you miss again," Hanna retorts cheekily.

"If you insist." Rob reloads to take another shot. Turning off the safety, he settles down and slows his breathing. Taking aim, he breathes in deeply, holds it briefly, breathes out slowly, then squeezes the trigger.

The bullet hits the edge of the bullseye.

"Better," Hanna comments. "Still technically a miss."

Rob ejects the spent cartridge and flicks the safety on. "What are you talking about?" he protests. "I hit the edge!"

"True, but you'd need a second shot to get the job done, and that just gives the police more time to arrive," Hanna explains. "And I don't know about you, but I never want to know what it's like to have half a dozen guns pointed directly at my head."

"Good point," Rob concedes.

Suddenly, a loud crack comes from the neighbouring shooting position. Hanna and Rob turn in surprise, then take a look down the range to a target eight hundred yards they hadn't noticed before. Rob unclips the scope from the rifle to get a closer look at the target, while Hanna uses her spotter scope.

"Now _that's_ a good shot," Hanna comments as they both watch a second bullet hit the centre of the bullseye right next to the first.

"Must be one of the seniors," Rob concludes as he watches a third round hit right between the first two. "Think I'll ask for some tips."

Leaving their equipment in place, Hanna and Rob move around the divider to find, not a senior as expected, but a white‑grey husky child, approximately eight years old, with a red scarf tied around his upper left arm.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey kid," Hanna chides, "you shouldn't be playing with that."

The husky turns his head, takes one look at Hanna and Rob, then turns back and places two more shots straight through the bullseye. "Go away," he requests monotonically as he loads a fresh five-round clip into the rifle.

Hanna starts growling, but as she reaches to grab the husky, Rob stops her. "Let me handle this," he requests softly.

"But-" Hanna begins.

"You're not starting a fight in a shooting gallery," Rob interrupts.

Hanna eyes Rob angrily, but nonetheless relents and backs off.

Rob approaches the husky. "Sorry about that kid," he starts. "You got a pretty good eye there. How long have you been doing this?"

"Long enough," the husky replies flatly.

"Evidently. What's your name?" Rob asks.

"Kai." Another shot through the bullseye.

"Just 'Kai'?"

"No." And another.

"What's the rest?"

"Xin." Three in a row.

"So, Kai Xin?"

"Yeah." Four.

Rob sighs inwardly. _Like getting blood from a stone…_ "Fair enough. Mind sharing a few tips?"

Kai fires the last shot from the clip to complete a run of five straight bullseyes. "I'm not sharing. Now go away."

"Look Kai," Rob replies curtly, "there's no need to be rude. All I'm asking is for a little help with my technique."

"Don't care," Kai replies monotonically, loading a third clip. "Busy."

"OK, I'm beginning to lose patience now," Rob growls. "You're a Scarf. Scarves help each other. Now stop being so difficult."

"Whatever." Kai empties the clip, finishing with fourteen of his fifteen shots tightly grouped on the bullseye, the sole outlier grazing the edge. "Range is yours," he informs flatly as he gathers his equipment and walks out of the shooting range.

Still growling, Hanna makes to follow Kai, only to be held back by Rob. "Leave it," he requests.

"But-"

"If he wanted to help, he would have. Now come on, let's get back to it."

Reluctantly, Hanna returns to their shooting position with Rob, cursing Kai under her breath as she does so.


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours later, Hanna and Rob break for lunch, meeting Lexi Kyokan at the mess hall.

"So, how's things going between you two?" Lexi asks as they seat themselves at a table and tuck into their meals. "It's been, what, a whole year now?"

"And two days," Hanna confirms. "It's weird. It seems like only yesterday we were ready to kill each other, yet it also feels like we've been together our entire lives."

"That's not weird. What's weird is you've found someone who's willing to put up with you," Lexi teases.

"I'll have you know I'm an excellent girlfriend!" Hanna retorts in mock offense. "Isn't that right babe?"

"Well…" Rob replies in jest, for which Hanna rewards him with a playful punch in the shoulder. "In all seriousness though, it's been the most amazing year I've ever had," he explains to Lexi.

"Glad to hear it," Lexi smiles. "I'm guessing Maria and Danny are a little jealous they're not seeing as much of you as they used to."

"Danny's not even slightly jealous, as it turns out," Rob explains. "To be honest, I don't think he's the jealous type."

"I think Maria's a little jealous though," Hanna admits. "She's been hanging out with that Carol Tea a lot recently, racing bikes on the test track. She thinks I don't know about it, but she doesn't have to hide it from me, as it doesn't bother me."

"I thought you didn't like Carol?" Rob asks.

"Only because she's best friends with that infernal upstart dragon," Hanna explains. "Other than that, I have no issue with her. That, and her older sister Coral's the definitive Red Scarf. Carol should really be following her example, instead of hanging with that dragon bitch."

Before Lexi can respond, a steel blue wolf joins them at the table. "Hey guys, what's up?" he asks as he takes a seat.

"Hey Xander," Rob greets. "Not much, just the girls gossiping as usual."

"Anything interesting?" Xander continues.

"Maria's hanging out with her new best friend Carol Tea, and Hanna's jealous," Lexi jokes.

"Really?" Xander asks in surprise.

"No, she's just trying to annoy me, as usual," Hanna sighs. "Though it is true Maria and Carol have been hanging out since me and Rob got together."

"You don't approve?" Xander replies.

"No, I just…" Hanna sighs. "I'm not explaining it again. Can we talk about something else?"

"Like what?" Rob asks.

"I dunno," Hanna answers. "Has Xander got any news?"

"Actually, yes," Xander answers. "You know how Maria loves swimming in the lake in the middle of Jade Creek?"

"And yet she hates getting wet in the rain," Hanna mutters in amusement. "Carry on."

"Danny remembered he and Rob found a place some years ago when on a mission that was right by the lake," Xander continues, "and as luck would have it, it's still abandoned. He and Maria are there right now scoping the place out."

"I know the place," Rob recalls. "It was a wreck. Why are they looking at it anyway?"

"Well, if it's big enough and stable enough, we could renovate it and live there," Xander explains.

"A lakeside home?" Hanna replies. "That's worth checking out."

"Not really very suitable for Shang Mu though, where we work most," Rob advises.

"We're still checking it out," Hanna decides. "We'll go this afternoon."

"Hanna, just how short _is_ his leash?" Lexi teases.

"Could be shorter," Hanna shrugs, smiling cheekily at Rob, who simply shakes his head in amusement.


	5. Chapter 5

After lunch, while Hanna and Rob head to Jade Creek to join Maria and Danny, Xander elects to remain at HQ to train through the afternoon. With tonfa in hand, Xander selects a small sparring room equipped with a punching bag at the far end. After a quick warmup, the wolf commences a routine designed to improve his agility and speed.

After twenty minutes, a shadow appears in the doorway, watching for a further ten minutes before speaking. "Not bad, but that style doesn't suit you."

Xander turns to the newcomer in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't realise anyone was watching. Who are you?"

The stranger enters the room, revealing himself to be a white cavy, dressed in a black vest and loose‑fitting brown trousers, red sunglasses perched high in his fringe. "The name's Spade," he greets, offering a hand.

"Is that a codename?" Xander asks, shaking the offered hand.

"Sort of," Spade answers. "I adopted it when I joined the Scarves instead of my original name. What do you go by?"

"Xander Lykos," Xander replies.

"A Lykos, eh?" Spade repeats. "Shuigang military family. Quite a long lineage too. Little in the way of glory, but solid and dependable, which is noble in itself. After all, what more could you want from a soldier? I'm guessing you didn't make the grade though."

"Failed the intelligence test," Xander explains.

"Three times in a row, I presume," Spade guesses. "Never did think much of that test, to be honest. Still, the Scarves is the better place to be."

"You seem pretty well read on the Shuigang military," Xander prompts.

"Let's just say I used to have connections," Spade explains. "I could use a sparring partner," he continues. "What do you say?"

"Sure," Xander agrees.

"Let's make this interesting," Spade decides. "No weapons, no holding back, just straight hand‑to‑hand."

"OK." Xander places his tonfa by the wall, then joins Spade on the sparring mat.

"Oh, and no claws," Spade adds.

"Of course," Xander agrees.

The combatants take their positions on the sparring mat.

Spade is the first to attack. Going in low, he attempts to sweep Xander's legs, but Xander leaps the attack effortlessly. The wolf attempts to counterattack, but Spade is too agile, ducking Xander's swing with ease. Taking advantage of Xander's bulk, Spade sweeps low again. This time, he connects, bringing Xander down hard, winding him.

"Like I said, the style doesn't suit you," Spade repeats as Xander rolls onto his back.

"Or maybe I'm just not that good," Xander opines.

"Nonsense," Spade corrects. "You're the son of a general, and a Red Scarf. You know how to fight, and you know you can fight well. All you need to do is work out how."

"Isn't that what basic was for?" Xander asks as he stands.

"Basic's good for the foundation, but that's it," Spade informs. "What you need to do now is develop on that foundation. Work out what your strengths and weaknesses are, then build the former to minimise the latter."

"I guess that makes sense," Xander thinks aloud. "Just need to work out how to work that out…"

"It's quite simple actually," Spade assures. "Tell you what: let's grab a drink, and I'll help you figure it out."


	6. Chapter 6

A couple of minutes later, Spade and Xander seat themselves on a sofa in the relaxation room, both with a glass of chilled flavoured water.

"So, strengths and weaknesses," Spade starts. "What aspects of combat are you most comfortable with, and what aspects feel the most awkward?"

Xander thinks for a few moments. "I'm not really sure," he admits. "The combat skills taught here are very different from the military skills I grew up learning. There's a lot more… detail?"

"Nuance, subtlety, and precision," Spade corrects. "The best ninja is one that can incapacitate their enemy with the minimum effort and time spent, with the minimum amount of damage inflicted. Something your friend Hanna needs to learn if she ever wants to attain Crimson rank. All too often she returns to HQ with her hands covered in the blood of others."

"Crimson rank?"

"Scarves' combat skills are ranked according to a colour scheme. It starts at White, then proceeds through Pink, Yellow, Orange, ending at Red. But for the elite, if the Leaders permit it, there's Crimson. Very few Scarves attain a Crimson rank, so I wouldn't worry about it."

"Where am I on that ranking?"

"White, but you could easily attain Pink with just a few changes to your fighting style." Spade downs the rest of his drink and sets his glass on the table before continuing. "Granted, I didn't watch you for long, but I saw enough to know that agility is not your forte. Simply put, you're just too big and bulky."

"So what _is_ my forte?" Xander asks.

"Strength and solidity," Spade explains. "Your bulk makes you harder to move, as you have more inertia. And your strength allows you to soak up punishment that would floor a smaller, leaner Scarf. Maria Shanmao is one of your friends, yes?"

"Yes," Xander confirms, a little confused by Spade's sudden mention of her.

"In almost every way, she's the opposite of you: she's small, light, and without meaning to be rude, weak. However, because she's so small and light, she doesn't need to be strong," Spade explains. "Instead, she's agile enough to simply avoid being hit. It's also why her choice of the ninjato and tanto works so well: the lengths and sharpness of her blades greatly reduces the power she needs to use to make them effective. Her diminutive size also makes her a natural at stealth."

"All stuff I find very difficult," Xander admits. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm even cut out for this…"

"Don't underestimate yourself," Spade advises. "Agility may not be your forte, but that doesn't make you a bad fighter. What you need to do is develop _power_ techniques that allow you to use your strength and inertia the same way Maria's focus on agility exploits her small and lightweight frame. In that respect, your choice of tonfa makes perfect sense, so I think you already know this, and you just haven't realised it yet."

"So what can I do to improve?" Xander asks.

"Where Maria ducks and weaves, you block and deflect. Where Maria hops and skips, you plant your feet firmly. To use an analogy, Maria is like a bee, whereas you're more like a mountain."

"If I follow you correctly, the secret is not to move?" Xander guesses.

"Not quite: the secret is to be _immoveable_ ," Spade corrects. "Soak up the hits, then counter when your opponent is weakened from fatigue. It'll be tough, but it'll be worth it."

Xander ponders the cavy's advice. "I think I understand what you mean. By planting my feet and blocking instead of dodging, I exploit my strength and bulk, and it makes up for my lack of agility."

"There's a bit more to it than that, but it's a good start," Spade assures.

"But won't I need to be agile if I'm fighting someone as agile as Maria?" Xander asks.

"Ah, now that's an interesting question," Spade smiles. "But I think that's one you'll have to answer yourself."

"I'm not sure I can," Xander admits.

"You can, and you will, sooner than you think," Spade assures. "The answer will surprise you at first, then you'll realise you knew it all along."


	7. Chapter 7

For the rest of the afternoon, Spade helps Xander start working on a new set of combat techniques that allow Xander to exploit his bulk and innate strength to mask his poor agility. As afternoon turns to evening, Spade departs for a mission, and Xander heads to the mess hall. As he seats himself at an empty table with his meal, a familiar olive lynx bounds onto the chair beside him.

"Hey wolfie!" Maria greets. "Where you been all day? You not want to see this place in Jade Creek? It's so cool! And it's by the lake, so I can swim all day! Isn't that great? Are you OK? Why are you not answering me?"

"Because you won't shut up?" Hanna teases as she, Rob, and Danny take seats opposite.

"But I'm so excited!" Maria chirps.

"Really?" Hanna continues with friendly sarcasm. "Because it's not at _all_ noticeable."

"Big meanie," Maria pouts comically as she settles into the chair.

"She has a point though," Danny interjects. "What have you been up to all day?"

"Working out in the morning, sparring with Spade in the afternoon," Xander answers.

"You should have come with us to see the place in Jade Creek," Rob replies. "It'll require a lot of work to make it liveable, but it's nothing we can't handle ourselves."

"Yeah," Xander replies distractedly.

"You OK, big guy?" Maria asks. "You seem a bit grumpy."

"Do you mind if I ask you guys a question?" Xander asks.

"You just did," Hanna teases.

"Seriously, there's something important I want to ask," Xander replies.

"Go ahead, ask us," Rob assures, putting his hand over Hanna's mouth before she can respond, a hand which Hanna promptly bites just hard enough to be noticed.

"You've all been friends for a long time," Xander begins. "And this may sound silly, but sometimes I feel like the outsider in our little group. So what I want to ask is…"

"Why are we friends with you?" Rob ventures.

"Yeah, that," Xander confirms.

The others all look at each other, a little confused. "I thought that was obvious," Rob replies.

"We like you and we enjoy hanging out with you," Danny adds. "I can't think of a better reason."

"I know," Xander agrees. "But what do I bring to the group?"

"Same thing we all bring," Hanna answers. "Entertainment, companionship, and support."

"The first two, yes," Xander sighs. "But the third…"

"Guess it's just not come up yet," Hanna shrugs.

Maria thinks hard for a few moments. "I'm going to tell him," she decides, her tone suddenly very serious.

"Tell me what?" Xander asks.

"About my life before I joined the Scarves," Maria explains.

Hanna looks at Maria in surprise. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes," Maria replies assuredly.

"I'm confused," Xander interjects.

"Xander, what I want to tell you is known only to five people other than myself, and three of them are at this table," Maria explains. "The other two are Leader Kyokan, who recruited me, and her daughter Lexi, who was with Hanna the night I was… the night before I joined the Scarves. It's something I only tell those I trust completely, because they are my friends and they deserve to know."

"It sounds serious," Xander replies quietly, conscious of the tears welling in Maria's eyes.

"It's _very_ serious," Maria confirms. "And you must promise to take it to your grave."

Xander places a hand on Maria's shoulder. "I promise, whatever your secret is, I'll never tell anyone about it."

"Pinkie swear?" Maria asks, holding out a fist with her little finger extended in a hook.

Xander opens his mouth to ask if he has to, but stops himself. "Pinkie swear," he replies, hooking Maria's little finger with his own.


	8. Chapter 8

Two hours later, in the privacy of her own room, Maria is coming to the end of her retelling of how she came to join the Scarves.

"My parents… they didn't believe I was… they just… they thought I was being bad, as usual," Maria sniffs, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief already damp with her tears. "I don't… I don't know how long I laid there… it felt like an eternity. Then I heard the window open. I stayed still, fearing the worst… but then I heard a kind voice, and the tape on my wrists and ankles was cut. I was then taken from my room, wrapped in a cloak, and brought here. For hours, I just sat in Leader Kyokan's room. I don't remember people talking to me. I'm told they were, and they thought I'd shut the world out. But Hanna… she was the first person I remember being genuinely nice to me. It was like… I don't really know how to describe it. All I know is I'd never felt anything like it before. For the first time in my life… I was happy." Maria dabs her eyes again, then takes a deep breath. "And that's my secret."

Xander doesn't respond. He sits there in total shock, unable to comprehend how someone so outwardly innocent could harbour such a terrible secret. Eventually, he musters a quiet "I… wow."

"Yeah," Maria sighs. "Rob and Danny couldn't believe it either."

"I don't know what to say," Xander admits.

"You don't have to say anything," Maria assures. "You just have to keep your promise."

Xander takes Maria's hands gently in his own. "I promise you, on pain of death, I will _never_ tell anyone that story," he assures. "And I also promise, on pain of death, to look out for you and protect you to the best of my abilities. As your friend, it's my duty to do so."

"Thanks," Maria replies, calmed by the kindness in Xander's eyes.

"It also explains why you're so child-like," Xander realises, letting go of Maria's hands. "You never had the chance before."

"I've been given a second life," Maria replies. "I intend to enjoy it."

"As well you should," Xander agrees. "I can't think of anyone who deserves to be happy more than you."

The two friends sit in silence for a few minutes in order to let the weight of emotion dissipate.

"Hanna was also the first person to make me laugh," Maria admits quietly, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Really?" Xander asks.

"She's not told you?" Maria replies.

"I guess she doesn't want others to know," Xander guesses.

"Only because it's silly and embarrassing," Maria explains. "Want me to tell you?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"It was halfway through the last week of my basic training," Maria begins, her tone losing the serious edge and returning to its more usual lightness. "The meanie was helping me because I wasn't doing very well. And by that, I mean I was doing really stinky poo. Anyway, the day before, we'd been naughty sneaky and stolen something from Leader Kyokan's quarters. I got away, but the meanie got caught. The next day, I saw this big box with lots of locks and chains on it in the room we were using. At first, I thought the meanie was playing a trick on me, but then I heard her voice from inside the box. Turns out Leader Kyokan had caught her and decided to set her own lesson plan by locking her in the box and getting me to be a smart kitty and free her. There were lots of locks and it took _ages_ , but I did it with time to spare, although for the last lock I had to run off to return the thing we stole. Leader Kyokan then brought the key with her when we returned to finally unlock the last lock and free the meanie. She was so happy to be out, but when she asked me why I ran off and Leader Kyokan answered, it surprised her so much she tripped over the edge of the box and fell back in! And she knocked the lid as she fell, and it whacked her hard on the shins!"

There's a pause as Xander tries to control himself, but it's no use. A moment later, he and Maria burst out laughing.

"Oh, that's priceless!" Xander chuckles.

"I laughed so much my tummy hurt!" Maria giggles. "The meanie didn't laugh though, she just laid there being a grumpy. Her feet looked so silly, sticking out from the box!"

"You sure Hanna won't mind you telling me this?" Xander asks.

"Nah," Maria assures. "Oh! I have another funny story! This one time, in Shang Mu, we'd just finished a mission and escaped the icky police, but it was really late and I was a very tired kitty. So once out of the city, we found a place to camp. We put up a canopy and slept in our cloaks. It must have rained overnight, as the next morning, the canopy was bulging down. As I was putting our cloaks back in our bikes' panniers, I heard a surprised yelp. Wondering what was wrong, I turned to see the meanie soaked to the skin! She'd poked the canopy with a stick to tip the water off, but the stick poked through the fabric, and all the water poured over her! She looked so funny, all her fur slicked down! And her face! She looked so grumpy!"

For the second time, both Maria and Xander burst into laughter.

"I'm glad to have you as a friend," Maria smiles after the laugher had died down again.

"Likewise," Xander smiles back.


End file.
